A rush to lay up North Sea offshore support vessels in recent weeks could mitigate the effects of the spot slump.
More than 40 OSVs have been laid up in north-west Europe in the space of 10 weeks, mostly platform supply vessels, but this should not disguise the dire straits owners remain in, Seabrokers said.
"That is a more dramatic response to the market downturn than any of us realistically expected," the Norwegian shipbroker added.
